Epox 8KDA3J vs Chaintech VNF3-250

[freeject]

Im building another budget system and Im using a AMD 64 3000 newcastle. This pc is just a budget upgrade until some serious new technologies come out over the next year so it doesnt need to have the most expensive motherboard. I saw the chaintech received a good review in the recent socket 754 roundup, as did the epox's big brother, the 8kda3 (which costs $60 more).

I tried finding a review for the 8kda3j but to no avail. For such a cheap board, it has hyper-transport and gigabit lan (the chaintech has neither) but I'd feel funny ordering it without hearing someone's experience with it. Anyone?

 

[imported_Thrust]

I have the 8Kda3j. It is reviewed as the 8kda3+ (the plus has raid, the j does not). As far as I know, that's the main difference. I have had problems keeping network connections with my switch. Some others have had the same problem. I have had good tech support from Epox, and recommend this board.

 

[imported_Salvatore]

Anyone else?

 

[Shimmishim]

hmm... i hated my board!

but i think the issues i was having was related to the cpu's mem controller and memory i was using

the 8kda3j is a solid board... you'll have to find a decent bios though cuz the one sthat epox release are kinda crappy

one thing you'll notice about the board is tha tsometimes when you shut it down and power it up, the vcore voltage will be around 1.3 to 1.4 which is not what the voltage is supposed to be at...

some have problems with vdimm not going up either....

other than these problems, it's a solid board

 

[imported_Salvatore]

Sound like big problems to me.

 

[RaymondY]

I love my Chaintech VNF-250 mobo!!! It is currently paired up with a Athlon 64 2800+ processer running a retails heatsink and 2-512mb Corsair XMS3200LL-PLT (think rev1.2) running at 2-2-2-5.

I have my processer o/c to 2.3ghz aircooled with the retail hsf.

The onboard sound is pretty good too and I listen to Sirius radio with it.

 

[scaryclownsarefun]

i was wondering about this motherboard as well, does anyone know the max overclock it can reach on the FSB?

 

[BW86]

ive clocked my vnf3 up to 275htt easy. When i go home today, i'll lower my ram and see how far it goes

 

[scaryclownsarefun]

Yes but doesn anyone know anything about the Epox 8kda3j?

 

[scaryclownsarefun]

it seems like very few people have used this board....

 

[scaryclownsarefun]

I am trying to get all of the info about the Epox 8kda3j together, so would everyone please post thier responses in the unnoficial Epox 8KDA3J thread.

http://forums.anandtech.com/me...2453&enterthread=y

 

[Ketchup]

I have the Epox and am also having the voltage problems that were mentioned. If it persists, I may have to return it and get something else.

One thing I like about the Epox is that you can update the bios with the "alt + f2 method" or in windows. Does DFI have either of those options? I do not want to buy a board where you manually have to flash the bios.

 

[DoobieOnline]

DFI has a Windows-based program called "Winflash" which works like a charm.

Doobie

 

[slag]

got my Epox 8kda3j in today along with a 2800+ A64 chip from newegg. I upgraded to the sept 15th bios.

Just messing around so far, I'm up to 2.39 ghz stable.

I am using 2 double sided dimms (corsair pc 3500 bh-5 chips)

My clock multiplier is 9, my bus speed is 265, memory set at 166 mhz which puts my current memory speed @ 216 mhz X 2.

no lockups so far, no crashes, etc.

Super Pi is calculated a full 2 seconds faster than my P4 machine did it (2.6c @ 3.25 ghz)

Everything is snappier, faster all around, etc.



CON. My cpu voltage is set to 1.5 in the bios, but all monitors show it as actually being at 1.7 volts. 1.5 is the lowest i can set it in the bios. CPU-Z shows it at 1.58 volts

 

[Ketchup]

Originally posted by: DoobieOnline
DFI has a Windows-based program called "Winflash" which works like a charm.

Doobie

Thanks, that is good to know. You can tell I was thinking DFI when I meant to say Chaintech, since this is a chaintech thread! But that is good to know about the DFI as it is still on my list as an interesting board. Anybody know if Chaintech also has a windows flashing utility?

I just saw that Abit has introduced their NF8. I wonder what price point that will be at.

 

[BW86]

Originally posted by: ketchup79

Originally posted by: DoobieOnline
DFI has a Windows-based program called "Winflash" which works like a charm.

Doobie

Thanks, that is good to know. You can tell I was thinking DFI when I meant to say Chaintech, since this is a chaintech thread! But that is good to know about the DFI as it is still on my list as an interesting board. Anybody know if Chaintech also has a windows flashing utility?

I just saw that Abit has introduced their NF8. I wonder what price point that will be at.

just use winflash to flash the bios